MAY 2020 (VOL.152)

Kris Valle

Currently lives in:	Torrance
Occupation:	ESL Teacher
Loves Japan since	1995
Have you been to Japan?	Yes, 4 times!
Favorite Japanese Food:	Gyu-don (beef bowl) from Matsuya
Favorite Japanese Item:	Kashiwa Reysol (soccer team) flag
Favorite Japanese Characters or People:	Crayon Shin Chan, Tanaka Misaki (Artist), Komatsu Nana (Actress)
Favorite Japanese Word:	Shouganai しょうがない (means “it can’t be helped”)
A Japanese Name you wish to have:	Kei
Favorite Japanese Spot in LA:	Seiwa Japanese Market

What inspired you to like Japan?

I grew up in Torrance, CA which has a large population of Japanese people, restaurants, and events so I was always surrounded by Japanese culture. I also grew up watching the films of Hayao Miyazaki which inspired me to start learning the language. My first part-time job was working at a Japanese market!

Anything you are deeply in love with?

I grew up in Torrance, CA which has a large population of Japanese people, restaurants, and events so I was always surrounded by Japanese. I am a musician so I really love Japanese music. I mostly like indie rock but I am also an oldies fan. Some Japanese artists I like are, The Checkers, Radwimps, Never Young Beach, Lucie Too, and Learners. I hope to be able to write and perform a song in Japanese one day!

Which part of Japan are you fascinated with?

I love Japanese traditional culture and arts such as nihon buyo (dance), I am a big fan of karaoke! I love how karaoke is a big thing in Japanese culture and you can always find a karaoke place nearby. Plus, karaoke is a great study tool for pronunciation and reading Japanese!

Any fun experience about Japan?

I’ve had so many great experiences in Japan! I’ll never forget my time in my favorite place, Kashiwa city, which is the sister city of Torrance. I even became a fan of Kashiwa city’s soccer team, Reysol, after attending a game! I also talk about some of the best experiences I’ve had in Japan on my podcast, The Japan Connection Podcast!

Any bizarre stories about Japan?

I was in Japan in October 2019 which was when typhoon Hagibis occurred! I was stuck inside my hotel all day because of the rain.

I wasn’t too worried about the typhoon, but there was a false fire alarm that went off in my hotel! A lot of restaurants were closed as well, so I had to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at a convenience store!